The event which celebrates the life of golf legend Jarrod Lyle, who sadly died in 2018 from acute myeloid leukemia, will be scaled down for several reasons on Saturday.
Regular organiser Ray Sizer has fallen ill and won’t be steering the ship, while Lyle’s wife Briony has parted ways with not-for-profit organisation Challenge, which provides free support for families living with cancer, of which Lyle was an ambassador.
Shepparton Golf Club pro Russell Kelly said the event would still proceed, albeit with a slightly altered running sheet.
“We’re just having a low key one this year, so it won’t be what we’ve done in previous years,” Kelly said.
“We’ll still have merchandise for people to buy on the day and after the day as well.
“It just won’t be the big wind-up fanfare sort of thing that Ray normally brings to it. It’s just a little bit less going on this year, that’s all.”
Lyle, a PGA tour regular, began his golfing journey at Shepparton Golf Club.
He was a professional of 15 years, but sadly lost his battle with cancer aged 36 in 2018.
Since then the club has held an event in his honour and last year was a smash hit with about 190 people taking to the course to help raise more than $37,000 for Challenge.
Though #DoingItForJarrod Day won’t have all the frills as previous years, it’s still an essential mark on the calendar for Shepparton Golf Club.
“It brings the club together, Jarrod had a huge connection to this place when he was alive and still does to this day,” Kelly said.
“They’ll come and dress in their yellow outfits and all that.
“He still has a lot of friends and family here, so they’ll still participate in good numbers.”
Kelly said the event may take a “different direction” moving forward.
However, the significance of the yellow garb and laughs shared among friends and members will remain.
“Wes Ridd, who’s the sponsor on the day, he’s going to take over the baton in a substitute role this year and then we’ll look to see what it entails in the future,” Kelly said.
“Obviously depending on Ray’s health and we’ll adjust that going forward.
“It’ll take a different form, it may be different ideas, if we get different people to run the day ― but it’ll still continue on.”
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